I love the story. Keep us posted about the results, please!

I think you will be glad you took the plunge and did that for your roses. My husband will come out and observe the dispensing of the tea but only from a safe distance. I do put him to work helping me keep track of which roses I have or have not dosed as I often get mixed up:)

Did you get the stuff all over you like I always do? I have learned to designate one pair of yard shoes for this task and this task only in case you are messy like I am. Just something to think about.

Kate

I'm using 5g paint strainer to keep alfalfa inside so it'd be easier to scoop up tea out of the trash can. After trying it first time. I probably will use 2 bags of paint strainer because one bag is fixing to burst. I guess 12 cups of alfala pellets can really swell up a lot more than you expected.

I tried really hard to not get it on me but that's difficult when the wind is blowing like crazy and you are trying, in vain, to lift a 5 gallon container up to a 4-5 foot plant to try to get the liquid poo on the leaves! Some did go down into my rubber boot, which may mean a trip to Academy to buy another pair. I had also worn rubber gloves and my hands sweated so much I swear they were 2 sizes smaller when I took the gloves off. Maybe I'll start wearing a rubber suit around the yard while I work :)

Yes, Lou, I couldn't believe how much stuff was in the bottom of the trash can (all the alfalfa pellet residue). I filled it up again with water and left it to stew so I can do this lovely task again in a few days! And despite my gagging during the distribution, I did add a bit more manure to the mix......what the heck is wrong with me. It must be like childbirth - you forget quickly what you went through otherwise no one would ever have more than one kid..............or rose bush!

I think you'll love the results of the alfalfa tea!

Katefisher: I, too, have problems remembering which rosebushes got fed during any liquid feeding process. The trick that works for me is for the ground to "not" be wet! If I need to water then I try to water the day before or afterwards. Otherwise, this can be very frustrating. Good luck!

Another suggestion besides having designated shoes for this task is to let it be your last order of the day. That way if/when you end up bathed in Alfalfa Tea you can follow that job with a nice hot shower and spare your family and yourself the residual tea aroma.

Kate

Masochism. Defined as "gratification gained from pain, deprivation, degradation, etc., inflicted or imposed on oneself.

Synonym: Gardening

texaslynn, as inspirational as pappu's roses are, you should be reassured to find out that pappu's first experiment with alfalfa tea was a series of near disasters that he wrote about at great length on this forum. Funniest thread I ever read on this forum. It went on for days like a never-ending soap opera, and all the forum readers had to get in on it with witticisms and other hilarious comments on the procedure. It became a "tune in tomorrow for the next episode in the disastrous progress of poor pappu's alfalfa adventures."

Needless to say, pappu was entirely vindicated when he posted his first photos of his gorgeous roses. He has never revealed whether he still uses alfalfa or if he found a more efficient way to brew and dispense it, but whatever he is doing, it certainly is a smashing success, isn't it!!!!

Myself--not being into melodrama--I just spread alfalfa pellets underneath the roses and water with a strong spray that breaks down the pellet form. No terrible smells, no yucky slush. It works--a bit slower--but it works.

I know your roses are going to love what you did for them and bloom like they have never bloomed before.

Kate

>>>I felt like the guy from "Dirty Jobs"!LOL, funny stuff

Thanks, everyone. I had to post this to people who understand (see gardening definition in phoenixryan's above post!). It just struck me as so comical and ridiculous to be behind a building scooping out the vilest smelling stuff ever and then hauling it around the yard! And for no other purpose than to "feed some plants"! (don't they make stuff that doesn't stink for that purpose?!)

Time will tell......now if we would only get some rain!

I've posted this picture many times so that others could enjoy the benefits of alfalfa tea while avoiding the splashing and some of the smell. The delivery system is gravity powered or one can purchase a trash pump and simply pump it out through a hose and put it directly on the plants. Timing how long it takes to fill the bucket , then allowing it to run that long around each plant eliminates the need to transfer it in buckets avoiding getting it on your clothes.
A hole in the top of each barrel lets you put in the alfalfa meal, pellets, fish meal or emulsion, epsom salts, and/or various types of manure. The use of fish net bags to hold the ingredients keeps it from plugging up the spigot. A trash pump, if used, will pump solids so won't plug up. It will also propel the tea longer distances and avoid having to raise the barrels to allow gravity to do the work. Otherwise the set-up needs to be placed on the highest spot on your property.
{{gwi:220514}}

After last year (I put out the tea and it didn't rain for weeks and we can't water because of water restrictions) my yard stank for a week.

So this year I'm simply going to put the dry alfalfa pellets in the ground and hope for the best.....

I have used a fortified tea for several years, and I think that it totally works. For the first time, I am trying chicken manure and alfalfa mix. I just put it in the trash can last Sunday. We'll see.

So what are the results? :-)

Prairiemoon2 - this was very strange! I was just posting a question on an older thread and when I finished, there was one of MY older posts that came back up (this one, of course)! Anyway, I have been brewing and applying the tea about every couple of weeks. Everything looks very healthy - never better! - BUT BUT BUT I honestly don't know if it is the alfalfa tea or the fact that I have had to start spraying again because the BS was taking over. Everything has healthy green foliage and I would like to attribute it at least partially to the tea!

Studaddy - I added some composted chicken manure to my tea and let it stew and the aroma was beyond description! Bring your nose clip!

Lynn

Being a noob, where can you purchase alf alfa pellets? My roses are simply in the ground right now and have only been in for 1-2 weeks. After they bloom, I wouldn't mind adding some alf alfa pellets and rose tone underneath, but I'm unsure of how much alf alfa to place underneath.

The manure ordeal sounds like fun. You throw that on the whole plant including foilage? I would always think to associate it with disease.........but hey, I'm a noob to rose gardening. haha. Best of luck. pappu's roses were incredible.

Jeff,
You get alfalfa pellets at a farm/grain store. Make sure it doesn't have salt in it. It comes in rather large bags, but its fairly cheap and you'll end up using it all eventually.

Around established plants, I spread a couple cups of the pellets (out toward the dripline). For newer or smaller plants, I might use 1 cup. Then I get a stiff spray on my hose and spray the pellets til they start to break down (just takes a couple minutes). Then I apply mulch under the rose (over the pellets).

It's slower working in pellet form, but smells much better and doesn't make your family and friends run away in horror from your reeking, tea-soaked self.

Kate

I'm thinking of using alfalfa hay as a mulch this winter for my new roses. Is this as good an idea as I think it is, or is this something that would encourage mold, mildew or some such thing??

It would encourage a nice stand of alfalfa in your rose beds that you'll be removing all next year. Alfalfa seeds are attached to much of the alfalfa hay.

I like alfalfa pellets from the feed store, and I prefer to aply them directly, rather than make that stinky tea.

I also like to add kelp meal to the mulch.

Why, why, don't you guys/gals aerate it?? All it takes is a little fish pump. I swear it makes all the difference! It actually smells sweet and nice.

Allison

I decided to have a look at this forum because I have one little rose I haven't been able to help. Name is Gismo. It leafed out white this spring, I have tried several things, including the tea. Got BS and lost all white leaves, now is leafed out again and blooming with more white leaves.
Anyway, here is my alfalfa tea story.I mixed up 4 cups of pellets and some epsom salts in a 5 gal container. Unknown to me the container had a small slit in it. All 5 gal of it leaked out onto 2 daylilies. They grew like mad, and are blooming for the 3rd time. Poor Gismo is still white, yes I made more of the magic brew and Gismo got some. I love that little rose, but hate white leaves. He has always had green ones before.